


You're Not My Real Dad

by PhantomStutter



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst, Chiccolo - Freeform, Chiccolo Week 2019, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Piccolo is best dad, you're not my dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 13:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19947013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomStutter/pseuds/PhantomStutter
Summary: This is a fanfic for Chiccolo Week 2019. Whoo!Had to do the one that hurt the most but it caught my eye first and I couldn't resist writing it."You're not my real dad."A teen Goten is going through some things and takes it out in the worst possible way.





	You're Not My Real Dad

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PickleandtheQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PickleandtheQueen/gifts).



It was that time in Goten's young life where Chi-Chi hoped would never come true. Where the hormones affect more than just the body and start attacking the mind twice as hard.

Where everyone was your enemy and everything else just pissed you off. Nothing made you happy and it felt like everyday of your life you were fighting. You didn't want to, but you felt you had to. Where nothing you did to relieve the anger was the right outlet or, more often, didn't know there even was outlets to these feelings. Because how could you find an outlet if you didn't know why you were feeling in the first place?

Some have it sooner than others. Some never have that issue at all.

Like her precious Gohan.

He had other issues alongside depression and all that, yet never the anger route that her youngest son was feeling right now.

Mix that with his Sayian blood and, well, to say these last few months were...a trying time for every one. To put lightly.

At first, it was just quiet frustration and an occasional snap at one of his elders. Enough for him to mumble an apology real quick or else face the wrath of his mother. But it began to evolve. From bickering, to talking to back, to straight up ignoring anybody he didn't have time for. Disobeying curfew and going or doing whatever he pleased. Disregarding any adult's intent...to an extent.

Never crossing that line with his parents. Eventually, he'd back down and follow instructions.

That was, until, today. It seemed.

It was something so...simple, Chi-Chi thought. A chore that was mandatory by everyone in the house hold.

Wash your dish that wasn't used for dinner.

That was it.

Dinner was the exception, but the other hundreds of meals her boys had a day was a tough ordeal to undertake before she could even cook dinner. When Piccolo saw her nearly in tears over how frustrated she was washing a stack of dishes twice her size when she should've been starting dinner, he brought up that anybody who uses a dish before dinner had to wash it. That being that the other meals were never as grand as her dinners. Breakfast, lunch, snacks. All of it. And everyone had been following it with no issue.

So when Goten had left a pile of dishes after making himself a few dozen leftovers, Chi-Chi thought he had simply other things on his mind and forgot. No reason to jump for his throat right away.

"Goten, sweetheart. Don't forget to do your dishes." She asked calmly. Chopping away at potatoes for that evening.

Apparently dishes were too 'above' the fourteen year old boy.

"Whatever." He snapped as he continued out of the kitchen. Flippant disrespect to her and her rules.

Oh no.

Fuck. That.

She had learned to calm herself over the years. Learning that there will always be time and that other people may have different things to yearn for or do. Helped now, too, that she has help from her 'new' husband. Never having to do everything alone anymore. But there was the one thing that always sent her over the edge.

Disrespect to her and her rules. No matter how lax.

Flaring her nostrils, she stabbed her knife into the counter and stomped to where her son was attempting to go out the door. Texting who knows who on that phone she should've taken away a week ago.

"Where do you think you're going? I told you to do your dishes!" She wasn't yelling, yet. But she felt it burning in her. Causing her left eye to twitch.

Goten rolled his eyes, "I got better things to do."

He went to reach for the door knob when she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back to finish this 'conversation'.

"Don't walk away from me! If you live in this house and eat as much as you do, you have to clean up after yourself! I can't keep up otherwise! I need your help!"

Goten looked down at his mother but even had to flinch, even a little, after looking at the frown growing on her face. Even then, he persisted like the dumbass he was. "Well I've got stuff to do! Its your job to clean up and shit. If you didn't want to you shouldn't have had kids."

Chi-Chi's face grew red hot as Goten stood arms crossed. Staring her down in a deadly face off. "That's it! You're grounded! Again!" Before Goten could even react she snatched his phone straight from his hands, "No phone! No going out besides family events or school! No video games! Nothing!"

Goten blinked before screaming, "WHAT THE HELL?! ALL BECAUSE I DIDN'T CLEAN THE DAMN DISHES?!"

"DON'T YOU USE THAT VOICE WITH ME! AND DON'T SWEAR!" Chi-Chi retaliated back.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

"I JUST DID!"

"What is going on in here?"

Two fuming faces, red beat with rage, snapped their heads up to see Piccolo. Arms crossed while wearing his casual clothes instead of his regular attire. Looking between his wife and son with a cautious gaze. Waiting to know why his ears rang as soon as he entered the house with yelling.

Chi-Chi pointed to their son, "Goten refused to clean up his dishes and then back talked me when I asked him to clean them up! So I grounded him!"

Piccolo rose an eye ridge and looked over to his son, "You know the rules Goten..."

Goten spat, "No! It's her job to clean up after me any fucking way."

Piccolo then put himself between Chi-Chi and Goten. His body shadowing the boy, "Don't you talk about your mother that way." His voice came out low. Almost like a growl, "She does the work of ten people by feeding and cleaning up after this family. On top of her work at the market. You need to help so she isn't overwhelmed."

Goten squared his shoulders and held his arms to his sides. Balling up his fists as he glared up at the Namekian. "I do it all the time! Why can't I just not do it once?!"

"Did you ask."

"No."

"Did you ignore your mother."

No answer.

"Did you swear at your mother."

No answer.

"Then yes." Piccolo stated. "You have to do them."

The half-Sayian was shaking but he kept his ground, "But I wanted to go do things...!"

"You are not the only one in this family that wants to 'go do things'." Piccolo hissed, "Yet we help with chores so it takes the burden off!"Piccolo bent down and said with a low, gravely tone, "So go clean your dishes. And go to your room."

He wasn't asking.

Yet Goten, with his glare matching Piccolo's, said defiantly, "No."

Chi-Chi sort of wished she saw her husband's face.

"What?" His fangs clicked together tightly.

"No!" Goten yelled. Acting like how he was when he was toddler refusing bath time.

Piccolo pulled his body up to his full height from the volume. Wincing at the sound but now more pissed than before. "Boy..." He warned.

"What?!" Goten splayed his arms out around him, "Ground me some more? Mom already got that down. Gonna hit me? You couldn't touch me!" Goten narrowed his eyes as he matched Piccolo's gaze perfectly. Twitching his mouth up into a snarl. "Besides. You're not my real dad. So leave me alone."

Chi-Chi's eyes snapped wide open. Before she even knew what she was doing she pointed to stairs and hissed, "Go to your room."

Goten was going to snap something back but...but the look on her face made him turn green. He simply swallowed his pride and balled his fists even tighter. Despite being stronger than her in every way, he obeyed. Stomping up the stairs as an added annoyance. The slam on his door was an added cherry on top.

The strength she gathered up to be that terrifying blew out of her rather quickly. Instead now focused on her husband who had his arms dangling to the side. She touched his arm and was expecting to feel his muscles tense for a fight but...instead he was loose. Limp. Like all the fight had left him.

"Piccolo?"

"I'm...I'm going out." He said so quietly that she swore she didn't actually hear him.

He quietly walked away from her and opened the door. Closing the door behind him.

Chi-Chi looked at the door with her heart wrenching inside her. Never had her kids told her that they wished she wasn't their mother. Not even when she would've probably deserved it. But Piccolo...

It was hard enough when she married him and wanted Piccolo to adopted Goten, at least. Gohan having his own emotional dilemma of knowing his father his whole life but basically being raised by Piccolo was a other dilemma that they eventually solved. But Goten...Goten already bonded to Piccolo wonderfully. Having never known Goku personally until he was old enough. Even then, no one else could be his father. Enough where he never even thought why he didn't look like his 'dad'. But Piccolo was nervous about the whole thing. About their differences physically. Like what if Goten had stopped wanting to be Piccolo's son and want to be Goku's instead?

Chi-Chi always told him he was being silly.

Now though...

Even she felt how hard that stung.

She had to get a hold of Gohan.

* * *

Gohan didn't know what to expect when he saw a text after his lecture from his mom saying, "Please come to the house."

It was ominous.

Ominous wasn't good.

He had felt Piccolo's power level spike a few times but he thought he could've been sparing. Was that time of day he'd practice and spar. But then the text from his mom came in. Mentally, he asked Dende if something happed to Piccolo. Only answer he had was to go ask his mom.

So, ok. Piccolo was probably not dead but something definitely happened.

Things had been tense at the house in the last couple of months. Or, that was what he heard from Piccolo and Mom. Goten being a teenager and all that. Gohan never remembered being that bad of a teenager, but of course, he did have to defeat an insane amount of nearly unkillable androids for a long time. And then deal with not having his dad...again.

He gave Videl a quick text and headed over to the house.

Opening the door he saw his mom sitting on the stairs. Gazing longingly at a framed photo.

"Mom? Is every okay?"

Chi-Chi looked up and wiped beads of tears that were beginning to form. "Oh...yes." She glanced back down at the photo, "Well...no."

The honesty in her voice that things weren't okay caused a slight panic in the young man. Because Mom was the queen of denial.

"What happened?" Gohan looked around to see if anything was broken or smashed but...there was nothing. Everything was perfect. Immaculate as always.

"Goten..."

"Is he okay? Is he hurt? What happened!?" Gohan interrupted with rapid fire questions. Growing one worse scenario than the last in his head before Chi-Chi could even explain what was wrong.

Chi-Chi calmly waved those notions off, "No, no. Nothing's physically wrong. I...I just need you to talk to him."

Gohan frowned as he went and sat down next to his mother. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked down at the photo that she was having a hard time looking away from.

A picture of Piccolo and Goten. His brother was eight or nine, from the looks of it, and happier than a clam. Perched on one of Piccolo's shoulder pads while wearing the turban on his head. Well, the turban was more of wearing the boy but Goten had one hand holding half of it up to allow him to peer out. It was one of the few photos where Piccolo was actually smiling in it. Looking fondly up at Goten.

Piccolo loved the both of them - him and Goten- so much. Could tell in how he acted and spoke. Even with his surly bravado that he forces to keep, he keeps a tenderness for his adopted sons. And his mom was holding that picture with such sadness in her eyes...

"Goten didn't clean up his dishes." His mother said quietly.

"But that's the rule!"

She just sighed, "We...got into a fight and Piccolo stepped in. And Goten...Goten told him he wasn't his real...wasn't his real father."

Gohan wasn't prone to anger easily, but he felt a spark of it for only a moment. Then an over whelming amount of realization hit him like a ton of bricks. The reason why Piccolo's ki was flaring up and why Dende didn't have an answer for him was because this was far more complicated than just someone or something attacking earth again. It was emotional.

Piccolo was hurting.

More than Piccolo would probably admit too. Which is why he isn't at the house, Gohan assumed.

"I would try to talk to him but..." His mom sniffled, "I did just ground him. He wouldn't be in a mood to listen to me."

Gohan rubbed his mother's arm, "Hey, it's okay. I'll see if I can talk to him."

She nodded, wiping her eyes. "I'll try and talk to Piccolo. He's usually open to me about these things."

"See!" Gohan exclaimed, "We're finding solutions! Just how you always taught me."

Chi-Chi laughed softly at his joke and took one long look at the photo before giving it to Gohan. She stood and stretched her shoulders as she walked over to the door. "Could you get those potatoes boiling when you're done talking to him? I'm late on dinner." Gohan gave her a firm nod. With a smile, Chi-Chi left the house. Leaving the soul duty on getting through that boy's head entirely on Gohan's shoulders.

Fun.

* * *

Every time she needed a reason to fly, she thanked her previous self for bucking up the courage to ask Piccolo to teach her how. May not ever be fast as they would be, but it helped in tight situations like now. Like trying to find your husband.

Piccolo was easy to find if you knew where to look. Sure, he'd go off on his own to sulk or vent or just wanted plain-Jane alone time. Yet he had his favorite spots. Never straying from his prime choices if he could help it. The waterfalls if he needed to relax or was in a particular good mood, a certain plateau he'd visit if he needed to reflect, and a certain wasteland where he would spare or vent out stress.

So when she found him in the wastelands surrounded by craters and scared land, she silently patted herself on the back for knowing her husband so well.

Slowly descending to the ground, she saw that he had tore his button up shirt. The white shirt giving way to glistening emerald skin. Purple sweat staining the collar of his shirt. In normal circumstances she would not be too pleased at having to mend another one of his good shirts -maybe a little turned on to if she was honest- but this was not a normal circumstance. Not in a long shot.

She landed next to him. She looked up, leaning back a bit to do so, to see the absolute stoic expression he was pulling off. Eyes shut and arms crossed. Completely keeping everything out and emotions in. Lets hope he wasn't about to shut _everyone_ out.

"Honey..." Chi-Chi tried to find the words, but how to find the words to fix what Goten had broken?

"Sorry 'bout the shirt." Piccolo's voice was firm. Firmer than it normally was.

She could tell he was trying to keep up with appearances. She touched his arm gently, "The shirt's not important right now."

His lips twitched.

Chi-Chi looked down at the ground as she tried to think of something to, well not fix, but at least make it hurt not as much as it does right now. That's when an idea came into her head. Not the best ideas she'd ever had, but one that might put something into perceptive. Looking over to the setting sun, she held a firmer grip on Piccolo's arm. "Sit with me."

Piccolo opened his eyes and looked quizzically at her.

She returned him a soft, sad smile, "I've got a story. Sit with me."

As hesitant he was at first, he relented. Letting this small little woman drag him onto the ground with her. Both sitting crossed legged with her at his side. Never in front. She knew he didn't like people looking into his eyes.

She held his hand despite his arms still being crossed. Giving it a small squeeze, "You know, I was a pretty bratty kid."

Piccolo snorted, "You don't say?"

She shoved him with her elbow. Naturally, he was as sturdy as rock, but couldn't keep a small smile creeping up her face.

"Anyway," She chastised, "I was a bratty kid. Especially when I was a teenager. Mom had been gone for a while and Dad, well Dad was busy running things. I was head over heals for a dork who didn't know what a kiss was. Daddy, as sweet as he is, didn't exactly think my...obsession for Goku was healthy." She raised her hand quickly before Piccolo could speak, "Which I know it was! But back then I was stupid. I remember having this huge fight with him one day... God it was so stupid. All he wanted me to do was...not obsess over him as much. Wasn't even a harsh rule or anything." She frowned at the memory. "I told him I hated him and never wanted to see him again."

There was a long silence. She felt Piccolo dig his fingers into his arms.

"It took me more than a day, I'm not proud to admit, but I did realize I was being stupid and brash and apologized. I never meant it and I shouldn't have said it. Even though things with my father are better than ever...I still regret saying that to him." Chi-Chi looked up at Piccolo, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles, "Goten shouldn't have said it and he's still in a world's trouble, but I know he didn't mean it."

"It just..." He growled. Looking away at the sunset, "I've raised him since he was fuckin' born and...and it just..."

"It hurts." She finished for him. "I know and I'm sorry he said that to you. I don't know what's been going on with him. He won't tell me what's wrong. Won't tell anybody what's wrong. He'd been fighting with Trunks, I think. Oh I don't know." She sighed, "That boy needs an outlet. He's bottling it all up and he exploded today. At me. At you...I don't know what to do."

They sat in silence for a few passing moments. Watching the sun setting over the horizon. The vast oranges of the wasteland seeming to be brighter than any other time of day. Chi-Chi desperately hoped that Gohan can get through that stubborn son of hers.

"He wants a punching bag, I'll give him a punching bag."

Chi-Chi nodded absent mindedly before the full sentence set in. She scrunched up her face in confusion as she looked up to the Namekian, "Wait, what?"

Piccolo's lips were up in a sneer, "I'll figure out what's wrong with him." He looked down at his wife and wrapped an arm to pull her closer.

That was all he said about the subject.

He looked far more determined now. For what ever reason. Couldn't have been her stupid little speech. She leaned into him as the last sentence he said fully processed.

Did this family always have to resort to that?

* * *

Gohan stood in front of Goten's room hand poised and ready to knock. Thinking about how he was going to tackled this. The friendly approach was always his go to. Even if he had insulted his best friend. Goten was still his brother even if he was acting like a huge turd. But how to start? Go right out and say he went too far? Go in for a quick chat before starting the whole lecture?

What was a good big brother thing to do right now?

Taking in a big, deep breath he raised his arm to knock...

"Go. Away."

Huh. Wondered how long Goten knew he was there?

"Uh, Goten, it's Gohan..."

"Don't care. Go away."

"Well..." Gohan looked around and decided to sit down, leaning his back on the door, "I'm just going to be here then. I need to talk to you but...but you don't have to say anything, okay?"

Nothing.

Well, at least he sometimes follows directions.

Gohan laced his fingers together and looked at how big his hands were. At all the scars that were etched into his skin. He went through a lot, physically, growing up. Being kidnapped a few times, beaten to a bloodied pulp...a lot, sparing until he physically couldn't stand. Then there was all those mental things he went through. Too many to name but watching your friends die was a big one on that list. Even though the dragon balls brought them back to life over and over again.

It was a lot.

Goten probably wasn't going through something that extreme, but he was still going through something. Something to make him angry.

"I know I don't know what you're going through Sport but, well, I'm here for you. So is Mom and Piccolo. You just...you just have to open up and tell us. We'd understand. We all love you." Gohan frowned and pressed his head against the door, "That still doesn't explain why you said that to Piccolo. Doesn't justify it neither. He loves you so much, you know that? He'd die for you."

Gohan remembered when Piccolo _did_ die for him. Jumping in front of that blast. Without a doubt Piccolo would do the same thing for his little brother.

"Do you remember when you couldn't go to bed for two weeks because you snuck on Videl and I watching that scary movie? You wouldn't go to bed for anything and even tried to force yourself to stay up. Then Piccolo saw what you were doing so sat at the end of your bed to prove nothing could possible get to you." Gohan smiled at the thought. Goten would crawl into Piccolo's every time like a cat and just sleep in his lap.

"I know one you won't remember though. You were a baby baby. Mom and Piccolo weren't married yet. I remember for, like, a whole week you wouldn't stop crying. Not for food. Not for sleep. Nothing. One day, you woke up crying really bad and, then, nothing. You stopped crying. Mom thought you choked to death from crying and stormed your room." Gohan smiled, "But no. It was Piccolo. He crawled through the window and just...held you and you stopped crying. Until then, Mom would always try and keep you away from him because Mom was in denial and stuff. But there you were. Sleeping in Piccolo's arm and Piccolo just saying he wanted the crying to stop or something."

"All I'm trying to say, Goten, is that you really hurt Piccolo today. I don't know what kind of fight happened but I know it couldn't have been bad enough to warrant...that."

Gohan sat in silence after finding he didn't have anything else to say. Pushing himself off the ground he looked at his watch. Dinner should probably be started anyway.

"Just think about it, okay?"

* * *

Goten hadn't heard from Gohan in an hour or so and he was glad of it. Didn't want to listen his brother nag him too. Although...Gohan didn't really...nag him per se. He didn't stay long either... whatever. He just wanted to be pissed. Needed to or else he'd have think of other things that would being other emotions he didn't want to think about.

He wanted to go see these kids after he ate. Some of the more popular ones in school that didn't like Trunks that much. Eh, screw Trunks anyway. That rich brat wouldn't know good friends if it hit him in the face.

He and this new gang were going to go loiter at the mall for a while. At least, that was the plan! He couldn't even text his new bros that he couldn't make it thanks to his...stupid...thanks to his mom.

Sneaking out did cross his mind once or twice, but he knew his mom would send any of the Z Fighters to physically drag him back. Just bribe food to any one of them, even the King of Assholes Vegeta, and they would hunt him down and drag him home. Or his brother if his brother had time...or...or Piccolo. Too.

No.

He couldn't think about what he said.

He deserved it. They _all_ did.

Because he was _right_.

Vegeta...was right.

Piccolo wasn't his dad. Not...not his biological one or whatever. Goku was. Goku who hardly stayed alive enough to even drop by to say hi. Even if he was alive he was training or training some rando or something. Honestly, Goten doesn't even know the man too well. But he got his strength from Goku, that's for sure. That Sayian blood.

Would be really cool if that blood kicked in right about now. Be stronger than someone other than Krillin or Tien. Like another half-Sayian on this planet. That would be cool. For once. To be stronger than any of 'em. But what ever.

Maybe he should just sleep the rest of the day away. Nothing else to do in this stupid house.

That was until his windows flew open and a hand shot through. Snatching his collar and dragging him out of the house. Flying ridiculously fast through the air.

Goten would deny it later, but he did scream like a little girl for a brief moment. The shock of being straight up pulled from the house making him forget that, even though he still had a lot to learn, he was still a fighter.

The teen looked up, readying himself up for a fight and flaring his energy up. Head tilted up, he braced himself to find an enemy only to find Piccolo instead. Eye ridges knotted together in an aggravated way. Goten blinked. Opening and closing his mouth again before he shouted, "I can fly myself!" Piccolo didn't even give the boy a glance but he did stop flying. Letting go of the boy mid air.

Luckily, Goten caught himself. Of course he would.

He wobbly retained his balance before snarling at the Namekain, "What the hell was that for?"

It was then he realized that Piccolo was wearing his old battle attire. The man set his pose into his Demon Style. Ready for a fight. Piccolo looked straight at his son and yelled, "You want a fight! Then fight!"

Goten didn't know how to respond. Couldn't respond, "I...what?"

"You want to hurt people, then come here! Fight me!"

Goten faltered.

"What?! What happened to all that bravado you had? You can yell at your Mother and at me but you can't dish it out?"

Goten's ki flared, "Shut up!"

Piccolo tightened his stance but refused to back down, "Make me."

...

Goten's entire game was off.

While anger helped fueled nearly every fighter's fighting, Goten's blind and misdirected rage wasn't doing him any favors. He'd kept missing shots or missing easy to notice fake outs. Piccolo would never land a serious blow but would smack an attack away as if it was a fly. Would give a hard enough kick to keep the teen a fair distance away from him. Only fueling Goten's frustrations.

Goten lost balance and caught himself on his hands as he gasped for breath. "Knock it off!" Goten yelled. Sweat falling from his brow as brow.

They were on the ground now. Little damage had been done to the landscape and the only real damage to anybody was a small bruise forming on Piccolo's cheek when Gohan grazed him with a punch.

Piccolo stood tall as he set his stance again, "You want to fight, then fight."

"It's not a fight if you don't fight back!"

Piccolo snorted, "Did you not want to treat your mother like this? Trunks? Starting a fight you only wanted to be in."

Goten gritted his teeth together, "I don't...I don't want to fight."

"Could've fooled me." Piccolo settled to a relaxed pose and crossed his arms, "What do you want then, Goten?"

The boy squeezed his eyes shut. He...he couldn't say it. Didn't want to...

"Goten. What do. You want."

"I want to be stronger, okay?!" Goten shot his head up as he looked over at Piccolo. "I'm the weakest Sayian on this planet! I'm weaker than Trunks and Gohan and Vegeta said I could never even be a fraction as strong as Goku. Do you know what that's like? To be weak and useless and aaah! Gohan is stronger than Goku now and...and I can't even get at his level." He rolled over onto his back. Covering his eyes with his hands.

Piccolo sighed as he murmured something about committing regicide. He walked over to Goten and sat next to him. His cape billowing behind him before slowly wrapping around Piccolo's form. "You're not weak Goten. Or useless. Anything that comes out of that ass isn't worth listening to. You're young, so you still have a lot to learn. Not everyone learns at the same time, Goten. No one has the same experiences to become strong. Like your brother. You think he wanted to go through what he went through to be at the level he's at?"

Goten peaked behind his fingers as he looked up at Piccolo.

"It haunts him. To this day. The amount of sacrifice he went through. He doesn't talk about it, but it's there. I know, now, that no one, especially a child, should go through that. _We_ didn't want you to go through that."

"But..." Goten put his hands on his stomach, "What about Trunks?"

Piccolo rolled his eyes, "Vegeta doesn’t understand that so he pushes that boy beyond his limits. Trying to imitate what happened to Gohan. I'm sure, though, that if the Androids really did kill us all that Trunks would be at Gohan's level when Gohan was that age. Even you would be a different person, if you were born. But that didn't happen and Vegeta is trying to force something that shouldn't be." 

“I...I didn't think about it like that."

"Besides, some people will...just be stronger than you." Piccolo looked up at the sky, "I've accepted that I will never be stronger than your brother or Goku or Vegeta again. Not in my DNA to be so. I'm sure if I absorb a couple dozen more Namekians I could be close, but that's not a plan I'm willing to go through at this moment." He looked down at Goten, "That's not a bad thing either. People will be better than you and stronger than you, but that doesn't mean that you aren't strong or smart yourself."

"And I understand about expectations. Especially from a father you hardly know." Piccolo frowned. "But know _I_ only want you to be the best _you_ that you can be. Not as good as Gohan or Vegeta or Goku. Just you."

Goten sat up then. Running his fingers through the cool grass as he thought about what he said.

Piccolo watched the boy. Gauging what type of reaction his son would give. Yet the boy was contemplating. Good. It meant he was thinking over his words. Piccolo hoped it got through that stubborn skull of his.

Goten then launched at his dad. Embracing Piccolo in a tight hug while burying his face into Piccolo's chest. Tears streamed down his face as he squeezed the Namekian with as much strength as he could give, "I'm so sorry Dad! I didn't mean it. I didn't! You are my real dad and no one else! I'm sorry!"

It was one of those rare instances where Piccolo would fully embrace his children. Wrapping both of his arms around Goten in return. Digging his claws into the teen's hair. And if anybody told him he was tearing up in that moment he would deny it, no matter how true that statement was.

"I love you Dad." Goten choked out.

He hummed in response. "You're still grounded." Piccolo reminded him yet refrained from moving.

Goten nodded against his shirt but was still deep in the embrace. Tears staining Piccolo’s gi. 

"Good. As long as you know that. 

And I love you too."


End file.
